


In This Place (Called Slaughter Race)

by Leech24



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: BAMF Natasha Romanov, BAMF Nick Fury, Big Brother Thor (Marvel), Brotherly Love, Bruce Banner & Tony Stark Friendship, Canon Divergence - Avengers (2012), Clint Barton & Natasha Romanov Friendship, Fluff, Gen, Humor, Hurt Loki (Marvel), Hurt/Comfort, In This Place by Julia Michaels, Inspired By A Julia Michaels Song, Loki & Thor Friendship (Marvel), Loki & Tony Stark Friendship, Loki (Marvel) Needs a Hug, Maria Hill Is Over It, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Protective Tony Stark, Science Bros, Steve Rogers & Tony Stark Friendship, Steve Rogers Is a Good Bro, Steve Rogers and the 21st Century, Thor (Marvel) is a Good Bro, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark Is a Good Bro
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-13
Updated: 2020-05-05
Packaged: 2021-03-01 19:46:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,055
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23622574
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Leech24/pseuds/Leech24
Summary: Solving complex equations is like breathing for Tony Stark. The same can't be said for when he meets complex people threatening the safety of his planet.
Comments: 6
Kudos: 39





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So this is a fic in response to a prompt I got from a friend, where Tony goes to interrogate Loki instead of Natasha in the first Avenger's movie. Unimpressed by Loki's so called evil plan, he suspects there's more to Loki than meets the eye.
> 
> Also, if you read Loki's lines in his accent, I swear they sound so much better LOL

When Nick Fury made the decision to pack all of Earth’s mightiest heroes in one room, he wasn’t exactly expecting them to become instant best friends. 

But it would have been nice. What he got instead was a room full of miserable, exhausted, and rather cynical adults all believing themselves to be above one another, which happened to make his job a lot harder than it needed to be. 

The director makes his way into the briefing room where the rest of the heroes are currently seated, when he catches the tail end of Stark and Banner’s not so private conversation. Namely the part where Stark is confessing his admiration for a certain ‘enormous, green, rage monster’ and he suspects that’s a conversation deserving of an interruption. 

“Dr. Banner is only here to track the cube,” Fury says. “I was hoping you might join him.” 

Stark looks unimpressed by the explanation but doesn’t get an opportunity to answer before Steve is talking. 

“Let’s start with that stick of his. It may be magical, but it works an awful lot like a HYDRA weapon.” 

“I don’t know about that, but it **is** powered by the cube.” He turns to Dr. Banner and says, “and I’d like to know how Loki used it to turn two of the sharpest men I know into his personal flying monkeys.” 

A look of confusion graces Thor’s face. “Flying monkeys? I do not understand.” 

“I do!” exclaims Rogers. He looks around a little awkwardly and lowers his voice before continuing. “I understood that reference.” 

Behind him, Stark rolls his eyes as Banner smiles in amusement at the absurdity of the situation. 

Fury sighs as it begins to dawn on him just what he got himself into. _We’ve got a lot of work to do._

* * *

After a sobering discussion of what was yet to come, the rest of the ‘team’ disperses, most likely to busy themselves with their own preparations and tasks. This is how Tony finds himself in the lab with Dr. Banner later in the evening, working on tracing the Tesseract. 

The two of them establish a rhythm with each other, bouncing off ideas and theories with casual ease. It’s something Tony really appreciates in the other scientist for the reason that it allows him to be in his natural element with no judgment in sight. It also helps that Bruce’s mere presence acts as a soothing balm for his otherwise unpleasant encounter with Rogers earlier.

Seeing that man triggered unidentifiable emotions in Tony, primarily ones having to do with his father and those he actively tries to avoid.

“That’s the guy my dad never shut up about? Wondering if they shouldn’t have kept him in the ice,” he mutters.

He doesn’t look up from his workstation, choosing to continue meddling with various screens around the lab while Bruce does the same. He hears the other man lightly laugh somewhere from behind him at his assertion.

“The guy’s not wrong about Loki. He does have the jump on us.” 

Tony stops to reflect on that for a moment. He hasn’t actually contemplated what Loki might be playing at and he would be remiss if he didn’t. For all his mixed emotions about Steve, he was right about Loki being unable to lead an army from here, and that it shouldn’t have been so easy to capture him. Considering Loki had plenty of opportunity to escape during the fight between himself, Thor, and Captain America, Tony wonders whether Loki’s playing a different game. 

This then gives Tony an idea and he quickly glances at Bruce to see him still engrossed in his work. Taking this as a good chance to leave, he mutters a brisk ‘I’ll be back’ to Bruce before heading out the lab doors, not waiting for the other man’s response. 

Though a genius, Tony was never one to think about his actions beforehand, which is why he finds himself heading in the direction of where Loki is currently being held, with no solid objective in mind. 

When he reaches the entrance of the detention unit, the first thing Tony notices is the sheer size of the glass cell. Intuitively, he knows who it was meant for and the logical part of him understands the need for it, but seeing it in person after having spent time with Bruce sparks something visceral within him. He ignores the feeling and focuses on the figure inside. 

He sees Loki pacing within the cell with his back towards the entrance of the unit. He makes no move to acknowledge Tony until he abruptly stops pacing.

“You’re not very good at sneaking up on people,” he says, continuing to face the other way. 

“Ah well, it would help if I was trying to be sneaky,” Tony replies. “I’m not exactly known for that kind of thing.” 

He moves a few steps closer to the cell just as Loki finally turns around to face him, a look of surprise on his pale face. Clearly the trickster wasn’t expecting for him to show up, though Tony guesses he was expecting _someone_ . Just not _him_. 

“Surprised to see me reindeer games?” 

“I wouldn’t say surprised exactly,’ he counters. 

Loki pauses to school his expression into something more bored and guarded, as though Tony’s mere presence is exhausting him. It wouldn’t be the first time Tony had that effect on people. When he speaks again, his voice lacks the usual air of playfulness and is flat and unwelcoming. 

“So they sent you. If I’m being honest, I was expecting to deal with someone who’s a little more...legitimate.”

“Are you implying that _I’m_ not legitimate? Because I’m not offended. I take pride in my unusual methods.” The genius drops his arms and gestures erratically. “To imply otherwise would be against everything I stand for.”

Loki retreats to the far side of the cell as he continues to regard the other man with a small, albeit suspiciously knowing, smile. 

“Yes, I do recall you are notorious for your unconventional ways. It _is_ the reason you’re here as a consultant, correct?” He subtly shakes his head and tuts. “Not even for your intelligence, it seems. How does it feel to play second in command for once?” Loki sneers. 

Tony is smart enough to recognize proverbial bait when he hears it but the knowledge of it doesn’t make it sting any less. It didn’t escape him that SHIELD neglected to bring the only name in clean energy (Tony Stark) on board a theoretical project involving it. However, Tony is quick to remind himself that SHIELD’s pursuit of the Tesseract is likely part of a much bigger scheme, one that Fury isn’t willing to share and is largely the reason he’s having this conversation in the first place. 

Though despite all of that, some part of him is aware that Loki’s manipulative tactics don’t necessarily make him a liar. 

“What? You’ve got nothing to say that?” taunts Loki. 

“I’ve got nothing to prove, least of all to a man who managed to get caught despite being something of a deity,” Tony responds. He can’t help but smirk at the disgruntled look on Loki’s face knowing he hit him right where it hurts. “Speaking of getting caught, how exactly do you plan on taking over the world from inside a military grade snow globe?”

“It won’t much matter _how_ when you’ll be too busy fighting among yourselves.” 

_Way to dodge the question,_ Tony thinks. It’s becoming more and more obvious that Loki is deftly avoiding the specifics about his plan when any other time, he seemingly gloats about his actions. And then it hits him.

“Something doesn’t make sense to me, Loki. Of all the people you could have taken, why Barton?” 

“Now, now Stark. This is would be an awful time for you to start caring about people,” he replies.

“That doesn’t answer my question,” Tony says. “Is it because he works for SHIELD? That he’s easy access to every secret?”

Loki doesn’t respond right away. Instead, he gets up from his seat and slowly walks to where Tony is standing. If there wasn’t a fortified glass wall between them, Tony may have felt a little more intimidated. 

“No. It’s because he was closest to me.” 

“By closest, I’m going to assume you mean in proximity.” 

“What an astute observation, I now see why they call you a genius.” 

Tony ignores the jab and continues. 

“So then why let yourself get caught? What could Barton possibly do for you that you couldn’t do for yourself?” 

“My, my, somebody _is_ a genius after all. Please don’t be mistaken by it, mortal, but my presence here is anything but surrender. And if I were you, I would focus less on my motive and more on my chances because I can assure you, you’re not prepared for what is yet to come.” 

The look on Loki’s face has shifted into something more haunted, as though he himself is unprepared for the army _he’s_ leading. Almost like this wasn’t even Loki’s idea. 

“Alright, listen up space princess. I’m running out of patience here with all this cryptic mumbo jumbo and like you so helpfully pointed out, I _am_ a genius. A genius who suspects you’re talking out of your ass because this whole medieval invasion isn't really your idea, is it?” 

Some time during Tony’s tirade, Loki’s metaphorical walls had fallen and his eyes were wide and full of alarm though his gaze remained intense and unwavering. Even though the sight of the trickster so open and vulnerable is unnerving to look at, Tony feels a slight bout of triumph at having had that effect on him. He just hopes it doesn’t blow up in his face. 

Loki’s attention snaps back into the present. His face becomes angry and he opens his mouth to say something but doesn’t get the chance when Bruce comes through the entrance. 

“Tony, I got something you might wanna see,” he says. 

Bruce is pointedly looking anywhere but Loki and Tony suspects that the cell might have more to do with it rather than the person inside. Deciding that it’s best to leave quickly, Tony offers Loki a quick smile and says, 

“Well then, princess. Why don’t you take a time out to think about your actions and then we’ll talk more later.”

Loki simply rolls his eyes at the ridiculous nickname and turns to face the other way.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki spends some time alone with just his thoughts for bad company.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh man, I was going to actually include two separate scenes in this chapter but writer's block hit me like a tonne of bricks this time. This is a really short chapter for that reason too. Sorry! 
> 
> This chapter is mostly introspective and has very little dialogue (almost none) but I hope you enjoy! I always thought Loki was underrated and under speculated, he didn't get a lot of character analysis (though hopefully the TV series will delve into that aspect more), so here's my take on it instead lol.

_Bruce is pointedly looking anywhere but Loki and Tony suspects that the cell might have more to do with it rather than the person inside. Deciding that it’s best to leave quickly, Tony offers Loki a quick smile and says,_

_“Well then, princess. Why don’t you take a time out to think about your actions and then we’ll talk more later.”_

_Loki simply rolls his eyes at the ridiculous nickname and turns to face the other way._

* * *

When the Midgardians leave, Loki allows himself to lose some tension. In trying to maintain his façade, the trickster didn’t realize how tightly he was holding his muscles and clenching his jaw. It’s only when the pressure in his jaw disappears that he realizes how wound up he’s feeling.

He makes his way back slowly towards the bench in his cell, lowering himself carefully as he contemplates the conversation with Stark. Loki is not one to feel nervous, but he finds himself feeling it for the first time after being so thoroughly scrutinized by the other man. He may have underestimated Stark’s curious streak and though he was being sarcastic about it earlier, even Loki can’t deny that the man is a genius.

A genius who may have been onto him.

Loki is simultaneously impressed and intimidated by just how close Stark had come to the truth. Almost like the man’s fingers had metaphorically brushed against a loose thread that he absentmindedly began to tug on, unravelling parts of Loki that he didn’t even realize. The trickster is confident that the effects of his curiosity were lost on Stark, otherwise the man surely would have used it to his advantage. However, when Loki thinks about it, his encounter with the Man of Iron did feel less like an interrogation and more like an inquisition, as if Tony Stark wasn’t interested in intimidating the god but seeking out the truth instead.

Loki shakes his head to clear his thoughts and refocus his attention on the problem at hand. Regardless of his captors’ motives, he _can’t_ let them stop him. He’s here on a mission and one that he can’t afford to fail, and this only proves to stress him further when he realizes he’s not going anywhere soon.

_What **am** I doing? _

Hit with a sudden wave of exhaustion, Loki lays down on the bench and closes his eyes. Sleep won’t come to him, he knows that, but the desire to be back in a place where danger was but a faint possibility is overwhelming. He wants nothing more than to be tucked away in the safe spaces of his room back on Asgard, ignorant of the knowledge about his true heritage and only bound to Odin by his idealistic compulsion to be acknowledged.

Loki keeps his eyes closed and attempts to relax. He breathes in deep and exhales slowly, as if by doing so he can expel such anxieties from his lungs. It doesn’t work for him though and the man resigns himself to boredom after several failed attempts to relax.

He only manages a few moments of silence before his brain is actively running again, scattering his thoughts in a blind panic. Loki begins to feel a sense of detachment from his hypermnesia, like his brain is forcing him to confront all those fears that lurk beneath the surface. Namely the one of him falling endlessly in a void shrouded in such darkness that the concept of light seemed theoretical.

Loki tries hard to push those thoughts away as they begin to overwhelm him. Something about his conversation with Stark must have triggered a memory in him because he’s suddenly being bombarded with flashes of Thanos.

The trickster inwardly shudders at the thought of his name. Up until now, he had been actively avoiding those specific memories because of the unpleasant emotions it brought out within him. He doesn’t understand why he’s recalling those horrible moments in bits and pieces, like his mind is shoving them in his face as he desperately rejects them.

The moment gets worse when Loki begins to hear Thanos’ voice over the flashes of his memories, a deep and rumbling echo threatening to destroy him or do his bidding.

Deciding that he’s had enough, the god abruptly stands again and resumes pacing around the cell. The sudden onslaught of panic gave Loki bouts of nervous energy that needed to be channelled somewhere. Ideally, he would have gotten into some mischief to offset such energy but given his current circumstances, pacing will have to suffice.

Loki doesn’t know how long he’s pacing for when it’s interrupted by none other than his brother, Thor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for your support! I hope you'r enjoying the story!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thor and Loki have a "little" chat and Thor leaves with more questions than answers. As usual.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't even know you guys, it is what it is. 
> 
> But I promise the story's going....somewhere.

_Loki doesn’t know how long he’s pacing for when it’s interrupted by none other than his brother, Thor._

* * *

“What games are you playing, brother?”

Thor’s steady voice echoes within the chamber though it slightly muffles in the confines of Loki’s cell. Broad and heavy footsteps stop to stand directly in front the cell wall nearest to Loki, who’s regarding the other man curiously.

“Now who says I’m playing?” he says but without the usual air of jest. Loki clasps his hands behind him, a strained smile forcing its way on to his face. He’s still tired, exhausted from the panic earlier and wants nothing more than to close his eyes and sleep for several millennia. But he also knows his brother and his annoying inability to let go of things, so he mentally straps in for a long and arduous conversation.

“Don’t speak in tongues with me, Loki!” 

“Or what?!”

Silence descends upon them as they stare at each other intensely. While Loki has always been prone to outburst, rarely do they sound so venomous. Taking a closer look at his little brother, Thor notices the deep bags under his eyes and shallowness of his breathing, as if his outburst had taken a physical toll on him. His concern only grows when Loki moves away and takes a seat on the far bench.

When no one speaks for a while, Thor is the first to break the silence.

“I thought you dead,” he whispers, repeating the words he had said back on the mountain. Loki looks up at him impassively, face neutral and devoid of emotion and eyes far away in a distant memory. It’s disheartening to witness such open vulnerability being displayed by someone with an otherwise carefully crafted image, and Thor can only wonder what happened to his brother while he was ‘dead’.

_I've seen worlds you've never known about!_

The god of thunder thinks back to their conversation when Loki had lashed out in obvious rage, going on about his plans to rule the human race. He remembers feeling bewildered by his brother’s hysteria and thinking to himself how _unlike_ Loki it had sounded. He recalls observing Loki in confusion, about how strangely erratic his sentences were as he jumped from one emotional state to another.

The thing is, Loki had always been of a mischievous mind, using his intellectual prowess to prove himself a worthy contender for others, and what he lacked in brute strength, he more than made up for with his sharp wit and knowledge. It’s the reason why Thor had always spoken highly of Loki in the presence of others and especially his friends, because while everyone else saw Loki’s talents to be a nuisance (it didn’t help that he was such a prankster), Thor saw them to be what made his brother so unique. He was creative, intelligent, and could wield powerful magic but he was also playful, mischievous, and caring in his own characteristic way.

_I have grown, Odinson, in my exile! I have seen the true power of the Tesseract…_

But after witnessing Loki’s behaviour on the mountain, the raw emotion laced in his confessions and the sinister intent with which such words were spoken, Thor just _knows_ this is beyond mischief. Beyond Loki.

_…and when I wield it..._

“Back on the mountain, you gloated about the true power of the Tesseract,” Thor says. “So, I ask again, who showed you this power?”

He’s staring intently at Loki who makes no move to acknowledge that he’d heard Thor speak, choosing to look just beyond the elder’s shoulder, and he doesn’t force him to respond, despite being unaccustomed to seeing Loki be so silent. When the god of mischief does speak, his voice floats softly across the space between them, flat and resigned.

“Do not make me answer, Thor. Neither you nor I can change anything about it now.”

“You’re not answering my question.”

“And I’m telling you why!”

At this point, Loki has risen from the bench and aggressively strides closer to Thor once more, never taking his sights off of his brother. He continues staring directly at him with eyes wide and full of panic and mouth set in a firm line as if to be intimidating, but the look of unease on Loki’s face is enough to convince Thor that he’s not the only one being lied to. 

It was in moments like these where Thor wished for his brother to be more like him; talkative and open, unafraid to share his burdens and seek comfort in family and friends. Such qualities would have made this interaction a lot easier to decipher.

Instead, he’s having to decode his presumed dead brother’s cryptic messages like he had on the mountain, the only difference being a more fragile Loki who seems to be on the edge of demise.

A sudden thought occurs to Thor and he mentally kicks himself for not questioning it sooner. If Loki was alive this whole time, seemingly exiled as he mentioned, then where was he and why the plan to rule Midgard? Something about the sequence of events, coupled with Loki’s strange behaviour, is not adding up for the god of thunder and he’s resolved to find out soon.

Something must have shifted on his face for Loki’s eyes become narrow, regarding him with skepticism. Thor ignores this and places a hand on the glass wall, dragging the other’s attention away from his face.

“Loki tell me the truth. Where have you been if you’ve not been dead? Are you in danger?”

The god of mischief lets out a humourless chuckle, rolling his eyes as he turns away briefly. He says nothing, letting the implications of Thor’s question hang in the air and it does little to quell the elder’s suspicion. Loki turns back quickly when Thor sees anger etched deep in his face, a far cry from the anxious wreck he had been seconds earlier, and once again is left confused by such erratic changes.

“The only danger you should be concerned with is the one you’ve yet to face, and while you waste precious time trying to unravel _my_ mysteries, my army is getting bigger, _stronger_.”

Loki slams a fist against the glass where Thor stands.

“So please, make no mistake. Your charity is not working on me, _brother_ ,” he mocks, spitting the words like they burn his tongue. Thor sighs loudly and just before turning away, he offers one final promise.

“You are unwell, Loki. But you are still of Asgard and it is Asgard where you will face justice.”

He hears Loki scoff but doesn’t give him the opportunity to respond, and Loki doesn’t try to. It’s not the first time his brother has talked down to him, but never before has it been so unpredictable. It was like there were moments where Loki had awoken from a spell, dazed, and panicked, too exhausted to mask his vulnerabilities like he used to. And then just as quickly it would disappear, replaced by this anger and drive for vengeance being fuelled by his insecurities and controlled by an unknown force.

When he first entered the chamber to confront his estranged brother, Thor thought things would be simple but he’s finding himself leaving more confused and with more questions, many of them wondering how sincere Loki’s intentions really are. He initially thought Loki acted on sound mind but now he’s not so sure, especially after having witnessed the strangeness with which his Loki has been behaving.

He reaches the doors to the chamber and gives one last look towards the cell’s sole occupant. Loki doesn’t acknowledge him and continues to ignore Thor by facing the other way, which gives the other man a moment to notice Loki’s finger tapping rhythmically at his side. To the average person, this gesture means nothing and can easily be overlooked, but Thor has seen this habit before.

His mother.

Frigga is a woman of many habits, many of them nervous ones. Both her children had been prone to a lot of trouble when they were young, so she had plenty of reason to be nervous much of the time and when Loki was old enough to cause mischief _and_ trouble, his mother had developed a new one. She would tap her finger in a steady beat no matter the position of her hands. If her arms were crossed while scolding them, a finger would be tapping away on her arm; if they were by her sides as she stood tall next to Odin All-father, she would be tapping at her leg.

To see the behaviour being mimicked by someone who has never shown a nervous habit before is both concerning for Thor while also hopeful. Concerning because his suspicions may be correct, but hopeful because there’s a familiar version of Loki tucked away in there somewhere, one who remembers his mother and the love he has for her.

He’s not surprised that Frigga is the grounding force in Loki’s life. They had always been exceptionally close despite sharing no blood.

A soft smile on his face, Thor leaves his brother alone in the chamber, hoping his mother is there to keep him company. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thoughts?! 
> 
> Is this a Loki redemption fic? 
> 
> I dunno I guess you'll have to find out. 
> 
> I mean at this point it's pretty obvious.

**Author's Note:**

> So this was originally going to be a one-shot but I really don't know how to do those because I always keep expanding them. LOL. 
> 
> Kudos and Comments appreciated!


End file.
